Aluna's hands trembled violently as she received the thick envelope containing the new pages of her destiny. The paper felt cold against her wet fingers, contrasting with the burning anxiety that consumed her chest to the very core. Under Rey's cold and impatient gaze, she opened the contract. Each word she read felt like a cold footprint in her heart, reminding her of the loss of freedom, but also of the responsibility she now carried for the fragile warmth of her family. She had no other choice.
Their freedom, and perhaps even their safety from the crushing debt that gnawed at every aspect of their lives, now depended entirely on a sheet of paper that felt incredibly heavy in her hands—heavier than the burden of life she had carried alone, a burden that made her feel older than her years. The cold sensation of the paper seemed to foreshadow the chill of this marriage, a marriage without love, only painful exchange, a transaction that felt so unjust but must be endured.
She read each clause with tear-filled eyes, feeling her dignity torn apart with every line, treating her no more than an asset to be managed according to the whims of the man before her. Yet, in her mind, the pale face of her mother and her younger sibling, whose stomach often growled with hunger, echoed softly, calling her name in the silent night—a symphony of sorrow that forced her to keep moving forward, to hold back the tears that longed to spill and replace them with burning resolve. She could not be selfish. She had to swallow this bitter pill for a smile on her mother's lips, for the innocent laughter of her sibling, the only happiness in the midst of hardship.
There was a bitter taste in her heart, but she forced herself to stay focused on every detail of the contract, searching for a glimmer of hope between the binding words, even though deep inside, she knew that true freedom might only be an illusion.
Fleeting flashes struck her mind like shards of glass, stabbing her heart with deep pain. She remembered her mother's soft touch as she stroked her hair, the innocent smile of her sibling who always waited for her return with shining eyes, and the warmth of their embrace in the cold, silent nights—a togetherness now threatened by the chasm of poverty. She also remembered her mother's empty stare as she endured unbearable pain, and the pleading eyes of her sibling asking for a bite to eat—a sight that haunted her even in her sleep.
The image of her father, drowning in debt and eventually abandoning them in the abyss of hardship, deepened Aluna's despair, yet also sparked a burning resolve not to give up. She would do anything, even bind herself to this ice-cold man, for the warmth and peace of her family, to bring back the smile and laughter that had long been missing from their lives. The anger she had harbored for her father now mingled with a heavy sense of responsibility, burdening her shoulders but also giving her unexpected strength—a courage born from desperation and love.
With a held breath and a heart pounding like the drumbeats of war within her chest, Aluna took the expensive pen Rey offered. Its cold metal felt strange against her sweating fingers, an odd contrast to the warmth of Rey's gaze that briefly seemed to burn her skin before returning to ice, leaving a strange cold trace. The sharp tip of the pen felt threatening as it touched the surface of the paper.
Each letter she wrote felt like a binding to a fate she did not choose—an attachment that was cold and loveless, yet also a fragile bridge toward her family's freedom, a sacrifice that might change her entire life. Her hand trembled harder as she signed the bottom of the contract—a stroke that felt like carving a wound into her heart but also a symbol of hope, a faint light at the end of a dark tunnel.
The tears she had been holding back finally escaped and fell, soaking the black ink on the white paper—a seal of resignation, wounded dignity, and a silent promise to herself to endure, to not give up even though her heart felt shattered into pieces. She felt a tear drop on her clenched fist—a silent vow to herself to survive, to find strength in the midst of fragility.
Rey watched the process without any expression. His dark eyes, like bottomless pits, revealed no compassion or victory. There was only coldness, firmness, and an unspoken demand, but Aluna felt the intensity of his gaze burn her skin as though he was marking her as his own, a possession that felt chilling yet also stirred a dangerous curiosity—a curiosity mixed with fear.
After Aluna finished, Rey swiftly pulled the contract back, as though not wanting to touch the trail of her tears too long.
"Remember your promise," he said coldly, his gaze piercing Aluna as if trying to instill fear and obedience, but beneath his cold exterior, Aluna caught a strange flicker—something possessive, yet vague and strong, mixed with something... intense and personal, a gaze that hid an unspoken promise.
Aluna could only nod weakly, her voice choked in her throat. A promise? She didn't even fully understand the contents of the contract, but she knew one thing: she had sold herself for the freedom of her family. Now, she was officially Rey Adrasta's contract wife. She looked at the magnificent mansion around her, which now became her new home, her new prison.
Terrifying questions began to haunt her: what other dangers awaited behind these grand doors? The cold touch of Rey on her arm as he guided her inside felt like the beginning of everything—a cold start, yet it sparked a dangerous curiosity and a slight fear that she couldn't hide. She felt that touch like an invisible chain now binding her to this man—an attachment without love but full of potential danger and uncertainty, a beginning that felt threatening yet a fate she couldn't avoid.
She stepped into the mansion, following Rey who walked ahead with firm steps. The opulence around her felt so foreign, so far removed from her simple life. It was like entering another world, one filled with rules and secrets she hadn't yet discovered. And in the midst of that luxury stood the cold man who was now her husband, a riddle that stirred fear and... an unexpected attraction.
Aluna wondered, behind those ice-cold eyes, what emotions lay hidden? And what did he really want from her, more than just a marriage on paper? Tonight, her fate had been signed in ink on a piece of paper, yet her future remained a dark mystery full of danger—a labyrinth she had just entered with her eyes closed, with the only guide being the man who held so many secrets behind his cold gaze.
She felt the coldness from him, but there was something burning beneath those eyes—a hidden promise that made Aluna wonder what truly awaited her in this house, by his side, under the same roof but in such a different world.